Moments earlier, a federal jury sentenced the 48-year-old Hermitage, Mercer County, woman to life in prison without the possibility of parole, meaning she might not be able to embrace her mother again.

The life sentence spares Moonda death by lethal injection for orchestrating the death of her husband, Gulam Moonda, 69, by convincing her boyfriend, Damian Bradford, that she would split millions in inheritance money with him.

On Wednesday evening, juror Michael Kormushoff said the panel spared Moonda's life after careful consideration of several factors, including that Bradford, who confessed to the shooting, was given a 17½-year sentence in exchange for his testimony against his one-time lover.

According to the sentencing verdicts, several jurors believed Bradford was more to blame for the killing than Moonda.

"But (Bradford) didn't hire anyone, whereas she did," Kormushoff said of the decision to impose a life sentence.

He added that based on evidence against Moonda that included her affair with Bradford and her drug use, "It became clear what was going on."

Moonda was convicted by the same jury two weeks ago on charges of murder for hire, interstate stalking and two counts of firearms violations. Bradford testified that he, at the urging of Moonda, followed her as she drove her husband and mother along the Ohio Turnpike near Cleveland.

When Moonda drove into an emergency pulloff area, Bradford said, he knew to pull up behind them, and he approached Gulam Moonda, took his wallet and then shot him in the side of the head.

Moonda wept softly as the sentencing verdicts were read, and then tightly hugged defense attorney David Grant, a mix of anguish and relief on her face. The courtroom was then cleared by U.S. District Judge David Dowd Jr. so Moonda could spend some time with her 77-year-old mother.

Grant said of Moonda's reaction to the sentences, "She's actually pretty good. She's ready for the next part. This case will be appealed, and she's ready for the next round."

In his closing arguments against the death penalty Wednesday morning, Grant said Moonda has been suffering from flashbacks after witnessing her husband's killing and has been diagnosed with a personality disorder that made her vulnerable and easily manipulated by Bradford.

"Gulam Moonda did not deserve to die, but I submit to you, Donna Moonda's death is not going to bring Gulam Moonda back," Grant said. "We certainly won't honor Gulam Moonda's memory by causing Donna Moonda's family to go though the same heartbreaking anguish that the (Gulam) Moonda family has already gone through."

He also told jurors that Moonda should not be put to death because with a life sentence, "Some would say this is a fate worse than death."

"There is no question Donna Moonda will die in prison. The only question is if the government will decide when that happens, or if God will decide when that happens," Grant said.

After the sentencing verdicts were read, Grant said the acknowledgement of her involvement had to be done for the purposes of fighting the death penalty. But both Grant and another defense attorney, Roger Synenberg, said they still believe that Moonda is innocent, that she did not participate in planning the killing and that Bradford acted alone.

In a blistering response to Grant's defense arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Barr painted Moonda as cold and calculating, saying she took away her husband's right to live "for the basest of all possible motives: money."

Barr compared Moonda to a person who killed his parents, and then begged the court for mercy because he was an orphan.

Barr also pointed out some of the colder aspects of the case, including the fact that Moonda had her mother in the car with her, even though she knew a deadly attack would soon take place.

"It's Donna Moonda who has already broken the hearts of her family," Barr said.

As Barr questioned whether Moonda was truly suffering flashbacks, and just how severe her mental problems might actually be, Moonda gave her strongest display of emotions, rocking and clutching her head in her hands as her loud sobs competed with Barr's words.

"The defendant literally held the keys to the murder, and was literally in the driver's seat," Barr said.

It was clear in the sentencing verdicts that there was some disagreement among jurors as they weighed factors both in Moonda's favor and against, including who was more to blame, Bradford or Moonda.

Several jurors indicated they didn't believe that Moonda was suffering from either a personality disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder after the shooting. In the murder-for-hire count, five jurors said Moonda was not the primary offender.

At one point in its deliberations, the jury asked Dowd whether it could impose another penalty aside from death or life. Dowd said those were the only two choices.

But in a case that was "pretty bizarre, pretty tragic," Kormushoff said it was clear that no matter Moonda's mental state, she was "clearly in control of the situation."

"She was a very mentally sick person for whatever reason," Kormushoff said. "I think someone has to be mental to pull something like this off."

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